Hyderabad: All India Majlis E Ittehad ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi raised concerns over the lack of equipment, personnel and infrastructure needed for firefighting efforts in the state while speaking on the demand for a budget for the police department in the legislative Assembly on Wednesday, March 26.
“We are easing the process to give permissions for construction of 26-floor high-rise buildings, but we have equipment only to extinguish fires up to a maximum of 14 floors. If a fire accident happens on the 24th floor, are we going to let the people die?” he questioned, citing the data on the increasing fire accidents across the city.
Owaisi emphasized the need to establish fire engine refilling stations in corridors like Hitech City and other newly developed residential areas, along with more fire stations across the city. He strongly criticised the police department for imposing fines on common people for minor traffic violations while neglecting the growing traffic congestion and rising accidents.
He also accused the police of prioritizing revenue collection over traffic regulation and crime control.
“I have been requesting for traffic signals to be setup on Owaisi Junction to Aramghar Junction for quite a while now. Sixteen people have died in road accidents in that route in just two months,” he noted, also pointing out how a woman medico died in a similar manner on that route recently.
He spoke extensively on the alarming rise in the crimes against women and children while citing the annual crime report of the police department. “Corruption has seen a new trend in recent times, as neither cash nor land, but the corrupt have been demanding gold for doing favours these days.”
Pointing out that 2BHK houses were constructed in his constituency five years ago, with allotment certificates issued to beneficiaries—mostly differently-abled individuals, widows, and other underprivileged sections—during the BRS government, he criticized the Congress government for now blocking their occupancy under the pretext of an inquiry.
He urged the state government to allow the already identified beneficiaries to move into their homes and live with dignity. He also questioned when the government would issue new ration cards.
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A heated exchange took place between him and Women and Child Welfare Minister Danasari Anasuya when she remarked that Owaisi’s speech focused solely on criticising Congress’ 15-month rule while ignoring the 10-year tenure of the BRS.
In response, Owaisi suggested that she might not have understood his speech as she wasn’t well-versed in either Urdu or English. He advised her to have it translated into Telugu to grasp the concerns he raised.
Their exchange was cut short when Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao attempted to raise a point of order against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
